Raw
You are responsible for the care of your external existence and are the addressee of the address. As for it, it acts upon you in terms of your lack of any action. For 'ḥadath' (ritual impurity) has no effect on the act itself, but it does have a ruling regarding the act. The movement and stillness for which the Real (al-Ḥaqq) holds (the human) responsible are only known by the Real through that which is itself moving and still. When the servant does not exist, only the Real remains. The Real, however, is transcendent above movement and stillness. Or, by itself, it becomes the subject of its own effect. Therefore, for the locus of the act of the Real to exist, the act of the servant is necessary. Insofar as this act is a 'ḥadath', the servant must be purified. The prayer—which is itself the act that manifests in it—becomes valid when it arises from the servant. For the servant has no effect whatsoever. Rather, in terms of his external existence, he is merely a cause for the manifestation of the divine act within himself. Thus, by being purified from seeing the act as his own—which is spiritual filth—it becomes clear that the acts belong to another. Nevertheless, since the act is valid, which the Essence of the Real does not accept, the external existence of the servant remains.
Purification from filth (najasah) is not like this. Najasah consists of bad character traits, and the causes of (purification) are known things. To be purified from them is cleanliness (nazāfa). In other words, purification from najasah means to be cleansed with good character traits and to remove base qualities from the nafs (the lower self). Thus, this is the purification of the nafs. Whether this is intended for worship or not, the result is the same. If it is intended for worship, it becomes virtue upon virtue, light upon light.
If it is not intended, it is simply a virtue, nothing more! For good character is something desired in itself. Its highest degrees are the use of purification from filth for the purpose of worship. As for removing najasah from the nafs—which we have said are blameworthy traits—in our view, it is obligatory (farḍ). Otherwise, it is not a condition for the validity of worship. For Allah has counted it as an independent act of worship, desired in itself. Therefore, this purification is obligatory along with dhikr (remembrance of God), just like other obligations. Allah says: "Establish prayer for My remembrance." (Qur'an 20:14) In later sections, we will discuss the rulings related to their essences.
BĀB
Enumeration of Types of Najasah
The scholars of the sharia (sacred law) are in agreement that there are four types of things considered najasah: First, the dead body of an animal that lives on land and has flowing blood. Second, pork, regardless of how it dies. Third, a large amount of blood from an animal, living or dead, that lives on land and does not live in water. Fourth, the urine and feces, large or small, of human beings other than infants. There are differences of opinion regarding matters outside of these.
"The esoteric (bāṭinī) interpretation of the matter is as follows: Regarding the difference of opinion about the dead body of land animals with flowing blood, know that there are two types of death: The first is essential death, which is not preceded by any prior life in the one described as dead. This death is indicated in the verse: 'How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were dead and He gave you life?' (Qur'an 2:28) Here, what is meant is essential death. In other words, this death is the nonexistence pertaining to the possible (mumkin) being. For the possible being, while it has no existence in itself, is something whose reality is known by Allah. Then Allah says: 'Then He gave you life.' The second death is 'accidental death.' This is that which befalls the living and removes its life. This is indicated in the verse: 'Then He will cause you to die.' (Qur'an 2:28) What is meant here is accidental death.
Then another attribute is added, saying: 'Having blood.' This means a living being that has flowing blood. What is meant is a being with a flowing soul, in other words, a soul that pervades all its parts. Here, as with all beings, what is not meant are those whose life is their very essence. Then another attribute is added, saying: 'Not aquatic.' Here, what is meant is not sea animals, but terrestrial animals, that is, those that live on land. The sea means knowledge. It is as if it is being said: 'By animal, I do not mean that which exists in Allah's knowledge.' There is a difference of opinion on this. I mean the animal whose external existence is manifest and whose life depends on air. With all these conditions, without doubt, the impurity of the animal is established. If any of these conditions are missing, then by consensus, what is meant is not established.
The life of the servant does not originate from his essence, but is something that attaches to him. Therefore, it is not appropriate for him to boast or make claims on account of being alive. When the servant claims 'I' (the claim of selfhood) and does not see the One who gives him life, he has encountered accidental death. In other words, it is said to the servant: 'This is your origin.' Thus, death returns him to his origin. However, because of the claim (of selfhood) and his forgetting the One who gave him life, the human returns to his origin without being purified. Then, we looked at the cause that led to this claim, and it was said: 'It is because he is a terrestrial being.' We then asked, 'What does it mean to be terrestrial?' This time, it was said: 'His life is from air.' Thus, we understood that what envelops the human is air. As Allah says: 'He restrained the nafs from (its) desire.' (Qur'an 79:40) The destruction of everyone who goes back and forth between two airs is inevitable. As our companion Abū Zayd ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Kāzāzī [raḥimahu Allah] said:
"A healthy air and a diseased air
It is impossible for my state to be well with both of them."
My companion recited to me (the poem containing these lines) in the city of Tilimsān in the year five hundred and ninety (590).
The scholars have agreed that every servant in whom these conditions are found is impure (necis).
In this context, regarding the interpretation of pork, its flesh is the place where the life that arises from blood spreads. For flesh means congealed blood.
The quality of swineness is an attachment to the filth that the nafs (the lower self) finds repugnant—that is, bad character traits. When this flesh loses its vitality, it becomes impure. (Its esoteric counterpart:) When the ruling of the sharia—which is its spirit—disappears in a person of bad character, death has occurred for him. Allah says: 'The recompense of an evil is an evil like it.' (Qur'an 42:40) In the continuation of the verse, He says 'like it.' Thus, He did not restrict it to any specific kind, but included all bad character traits. Then Allah says about the one who does not do so: 'But whoever pardons and makes reconciliation...' (Qur'an 42:40) Allah has indicated that not responding to evil with evil is among good character traits. For this reason, we said, 'however he loses his life.' For purification does not cleanse it.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered a man, who wanted retribution for the killing of his ward, the options of pardoning or accepting blood money, and said, 'Take the blood money.' When the man insisted, the Prophet said: 'If he kills him, he becomes like the killer.' Here, the Prophet is alluding to the verse: 'The recompense of an evil is an evil like it.' (Qur'an 42:40) When this reached the man, he came to the Prophet and gave up killing the murderer. The issue of good and evil can be based on this. This is a major issue with which people have long been concerned. Even though we mention it in this book, this is not the place for a detailed discussion.
The third type of najasah agreed upon is the blood of terrestrial animals. This blood, when it flows in large, that is, visible, amounts from a living or dead animal, is considered impure by consensus. As we mentioned earlier, a terrestrial animal is something that exists externally, not only in Allah's knowledge. An aquatic animal, however, is that which exists in Allah's knowledge. The terrestrial animal continues its life by means of air. Blood is the origin from which the life of the living arises, coming from the heat of this vapor. What is meant here is the animal soul (rūḥ). Since blood is the origin of this impurity, it is even more appropriate for what arises from it to be considered impure.
The cause that prevents the servant from having selfhood is the sense of dignity with which he was created as his own. For the human being was created as the sum of the world and as a likeness of all beings in general. When the human becomes heedless of the essential death mentioned in the verses, 'Was there not a period of time when man was nothing to be mentioned?' (Qur'an 76:1) and 'We created you when you were nothing,' the scholars have agreed that 'the human' is impure. The impurity of the human, however, depends on its being visible, that is, on the increase of his heedlessness of this station. If this does not increase, consensus on this ruling is not reached.
The fourth type of najasah is the urine and feces of humankind.
The esoteric interpretation of the matter is as follows: If the rank and station of a thing is elevated, its small faults become great. For one whose rank and station is low, his greatness becomes small. The human is in an honorable position, his rank is high, he is the vicegerent of the Real and the teacher of the angels. Therefore, the human must purify those with whom he sits and stands, and cleanse those with whom he is intimate [he must be in a position to do so]. If the human becomes heedless of his reality, he begins to be concerned with his nature. Clean food, drink, and [clothing] accompany him. Just as he takes the clean of these by his nature and not by his reality, so too does he expel the bad of them by his nature and not by his reality. Thus, after being expelled, just as the clean becomes impure—like blood—so too does the filth become impure. These are the excrements. The most appropriate is that the impurity is caused by the stench, for it is in the realm of breaths. Thus, impurity arises by nature. It is the same for all living beings.
However, the realities and spirits of animals are not like the reality of the human in terms of elevation and station. Their baseness and abjection are greater. The scholars have agreed on the impurity of such things. As for the urine and feces of other living beings, there are different opinions. Nevertheless, all these (blood, urine, and feces) arise from nature. Those who take nature into account have said that all are impure. Those who take into account the elevated station and its fall have said that human urine and feces are impure and do not overlook it because of the greatness of the human's station. As for other living beings, they overlook it (for if the station is great, even small things become great).
Thus, we have explained the reason for the scholars' differences and agreements regarding impurity. Praise be to Allah. 'Allah speaks the truth and guides to the right way.' (Qur'an 33:4)
BAB
The scholars of the sharia have differed regarding these two types of dead animals. Some say they are pure, and I am of this opinion. Some say that the dead of the sea is pure, but the dead of land animals without blood is impure. The exception is those animals which are not considered dead by consensus, such as the vinegar worm and the maggots that arise in food. In addition to those without blood, the dead of both sea and land animals are considered impure.
The esoteric interpretation of the matter is as follows: Earlier, we mentioned the esoteric interpretation of the purity of blood among these purifications. To say that the dead body of a bloodless animal is pure means, in the esoteric sense, to avoid the claim of selfhood. For the claim arises due to the life that comes from blood. Otherwise, there is no claim arising from the life found in all living beings. By means of this life found in all living beings, everything glorifies its Lord. This life, in its essence, is pure. For it comes from Allah without any cause that veils them (land and sea animals) from Him. Some scholars have accepted that even if there is blood, the dead of sea animals is pure. For it [in the esoteric interpretation] refers to that which exists in Allah's knowledge. There is no ruling for things in Allah's knowledge. Rulings only apply to things when they manifest externally. This manifestation is the emergence of things from (divine) knowledge into sensory existence.
The differences of opinion among the scholars regarding the details of this matter can also be interpreted within this framework.
The thirty-third section has ended, and the thirty-fourth section will follow it.
[THE FUTŪḥĀT AL-MAKKIYYA'S]
THIRTY-FOURTH SECTION
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
BĀB
Parts of That Which Is Agreed to Be Dead
The scholars of the sharia have differed regarding the parts of something agreed to be dead. However, they have agreed that when the flesh from the parts of the dead is considered dead, it is impure. Earlier, when discussing the flesh of the pig, we gave the esoteric interpretation of flesh. The scholars have differed regarding bones and feathers. Some say these are also dead (and thus impure). Others say they are not dead [and thus not impure], and I am of this opinion. Some say bones are dead, but feathers are not.
The esoteric interpretation of the matter is as follows: The death considered in this matter is the accidental, temporary death that destroys the life at its place. Therefore, we looked at what is called 'soul': Those who understand life as growth have considered feathers and bones to be dead. Those who see life as sensation have not considered them dead. Those who distinguish between feathers and bones have thought as follows: Bones have sensation, so with the loss of life, they too are dead; feathers do not have sensation, so they are not considered dead. For those who attribute growth to nourishment and sensation to the animal soul, bones and feathers are dead. For them, interpreting life as either growth or sensation is the same. Those who attribute growth not to nourishment but to their Lord, and perception of the sensible not to the senses but again to their Lord, do not pay attention to the intermediary. Such a person, by witnessing the origin, has become annihilated (fanāʾ) from himself and the intermediaries. The origin is his Creator. If a person sees that the Real is his hearing and his sight—which refers to the physical eye—then, whether life is growth or sensation, for him nothing can be considered dead.
BĀB
Utilizing the Skin of the Dead
Some scholars are of the opinion that the skin of a dead animal can be utilized in principle, whether it is tanned or not. Some distinguish between tanning and not tanning. There is also a difference of opinion regarding the purity of the skin. Some scholars say tanning purifies the skin, while others say tanning does not purify the skin.